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Rating: It's been a full six years since I held a copy of "frammenti d'istanti" in my hands, a complex and laborious work, a frantic search for perfection, for impact.
A perfect alternation between melody and power, where VOLUMI showed maturity, blending crossover with nu metal, Tool with early Korn, and R.A.T.M. with Sick of it All.
In six years, many things change, life changes, boys become men, music evolves, and just when you expected evolution, you're instead surprised by revolution.
The rhythm section, the backbone of this new effort, remains the same as the previous work, just as the cutting voice of Leader Pogo, with his sharp verses, is the happy constant.
The unexpected revolution begins with the guitars, which in this work are two, and you can hear them. They grind riffs and solos that chase and overlap, creating walls of suffocating and impenetrable power.
Another big novelty lies in the second voice, Daniel. While the clean voice of the great Shuster alternated with Pogo's vitriolic voice, with all its clean melody, Daniel is powerful,
his voice's power adds to Pogo's, giving their new work a dark mood.
The music is minimalist, without frills, without effects, just metal, devoid of any adornment, boasting power and technique as its crowning glory. One must admit, they have never been this powerful.
VOLUMI make revolution their evolution and gift us, in what seems to be the first in a series of meetings, five dark and powerful gems, whose backbone is a drum that strikes hard, but does so with the precision of a Swiss watch. The sounds are homogeneous, dark, but clean, thanks to an excellent mix by someone who has mastered bands like Muse, just to be clear. Versari, does that ring a bell?
Let's analyze these gems, one by one:
CREATURA: a fraction of a second, and your mind flies to a riff by a blond-haired man from 'Tallica, opening an album titled "Killing is My Business...and Business is Good". The déjà vu effect lasts a moment, because immediately the sound becomes Criminal. The drums start marking time. Pogo and Daniel join in with a vocal duel. The lyrics are introspective, cynical, and cryptic, pure Pogo style. It tells of pain and madness, personified in this Creature that clutches you from within, sometimes uncontrollable.
Musically, it is the most complex of the batch, with chilling arrangements and stifling riffing...that feeds on pain...
CALIBRO: the testament of life's journey, those who believe and those who leave. The uphill climbs to struggle on, to leave behind. The rhythm is upbeat, the two voices dance on a 4/4 meter, with a flow that becomes progressively darker until the final acceleration. A track that closely recalls the early days of the Genoese combo, so strongly rooted in old-style crossover.
LIKE: a story of a reality entirely of our days. The one of online communication systems, called social, but which in most cases transform you into an A-social. The creation of an alternative self that stands as a judge and feeds on the approval of other A-socials, measured in Likes. Musically, it recalls what was heard in "frammenti d'istanti".
The Deftones style is palpable, but excellently blended in the Criminal trademark. The central break is powerful, complemented by a giant growl, followed by a nice guitar solo. The ending is explosive with the breathless repetition of eight words, where only the first changes: ass - porn - war - death, click, filter, phrase, crop, post,
hashtag, LIKE...genius. The chorus is imprinted in the brain indelibly, and you find yourself humming it at any moment.
VOMITO: the highest peak of the work. The most intense and dark track of the album. Also my favorite. The essence synthesis of the new Criminali, tight rhythms, metal in its essence without frills, bone-breaking powerful drums, the deep voices that mix and play passing the baton to each other, at times blending, the engaged lyrics.
The topic is nothing short of challenging. That fringe of the clergy that, hidden behind the sacred words of a prayer, caters to its own ego and sexuality with those innocent ears that due to their sweetness should be guided, not crushed, overwhelmed, nullified. The very thought gives VOMIT. An exceptional track, complete, linear, every note is in its place, there are no impositions, and the vocal interpretation and melodic violence perfectly convey the message being launched. In a word, "criminal"!
NOI: our guys leave us with their calling card. The record closes with a crescendo, with another high-level performance.
The rhythm is perfect for headbanging from start to finish. At the two-and-a-half-minute mark, the most beautiful guitar solo of the album.
The usual impressive drum sets the pace and doesn't miss a beat. That "VOLUMI...CRIMINALI" in the chorus of the track that closes the album is like the taste left by a good wine on the palate, persistent.
The lyrics talk about their journey, the years spent shouting hate, the efforts, and sweat left on stages across half of Italy.
It couldn't have closed better than these roughly 20 minutes of slashes that, I repeat, sound like an appetizer.
In short, the VOLUMIcriminali from Genoa are back. They've done it in great style, with an album that impacts and surprises.
Five tracks that cry out for the repeat button, to be listened to until exhaustion. For a long-time fan, the best criminals ever.
The Blizzard
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